"We're going to unglue the Sonoran Desert"

- says Sue Rutman, botanist at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, in this piece on global warming's effects in southern Arizona.

Just how much is it heating up? Here are some numbers that might draw a sweat:

● The average temperature in Arizona for the five-year period from 2003 to 2007 was 2.2 degrees hotter than the historical average for the 20th century, according to a report last month by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

● That rise was more than twice the global average increase of 1 degree for the same period.

● Average annual temperatures in the Southwest, including Arizona, are projected to increase 4.5 to 7 degrees or more during this century, according to a comprehensive report last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The sidebars of the article are really informative and cite studies pertinent to different ecological attributes of the desert.

What is also really informative are the comments that the story is logging.

#1. Manmade Global Warming is an invention of the liberal media. Natural warming of the planet is real, but it has been happening for millions of years. I will not believe your lies and half-truths.

Wow. The Intelligent Designer must have given him an extra dose of brainpower. I sure hope the Intelligent Designer has some plans for massive air conditioning units, or southern AZ is going to be mighty unpleasant mighty soon.